Thursday, February 23, 2006

WWE Marketing ECW Ultra-Violence

I find it kind of troubling that Ian Rotten vs. Axl Rotten in a "Taipei Death Match" is now being marketed and sold by WWE as part of its Blood Sport DVD. I always found those types of matches completely distasteful. It's just violence for the sake of violence: undercard wrestlers maiming and scarring themselves for life just for the enjoyment of a small segment of sickos. It's not like those were the culmination of some big feud. Those guys were only on the card because they were willing to do really violent matches. That was the part of ECW that I always disliked, but I just sort of accepted it as part of ECW culture. But WWE for a long time kind of considered themselves above that sort of thing, and I think that was probably for the best. There are certain things that aren't worth promoting, and I don't think WWE will ever promote matches where guys glue broken glass to their hands. In fact, I'm pretty much certain of it. So why is there a double standard when it comes to profiteering off it in DVD format? It's not like that stuff is a highlight for ECW either. Finally, it kind of undermines the whole "don't try this at home" message WWE sticks at the beginning of all its DVD releases. Because sorry, but that stuff isn't safe no matter who's doing it, and the promotion's sincerity in promoting safety is kind of undermined by the promotion of matches where brutality is the sole appeal (and even WWE's most violent matches like Hell in a Cell use the violence as a way to signify the end of a major feud; it isn't violence for the sake of violence).

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